Online gambling services are slowly starting to take shape in the state of Michigan. After operators launched last week, even more, are getting on board. Michigan has greenlighted online casino and sports betting operations but has yet to allow poker to start. As far as sports betting is concerned, operators are getting in on the action as quickly as possible. Last week, nine operators were announced for the new industry and now a 10th operator has been approved by the Gaming Control Board. Already, those offering services over the weekend have seen solid returns as players wagering on the NFL playoff games.
The Latest Operator
The newest operator to earn approval in Michigan is the Lac Vieux Desert tribe. They are working with PointsBet to offer sports betting in the state. The tribe already offers casino gaming at its Northern Water Casino Resort in the Upper Peninsula.
Since the original announcement last week, all 10 providers are clear to operate. Michigan is now home to big-time operators including Barstool, DraftKings, Golden Nugget, Rush Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts, BetMGM, and Fan Duel.
Most of the operators plan to offer online sports betting and casino gaming. Greektown will launch online gaming but the others will be launching both sports betting and casino options at the same time. Even more operators are expected to be approved in the coming weeks as well as platforms. The iGaming market in Michigan may just be getting started, but it is going to grow very quickly as these operators start to launch services.
Successful Weekend
For many operators, this past Friday signaled the start of services. A total of 10 different app platforms were live. Each of these platforms was partnered with either a tribal casino in the state or a commercial casino from Detroit. The industry was so busy that players of BetMGM actually experienced malfunctions.
BetMGM works with MGM Grand Detroit and is no stranger to the online sports betting world. They offer services in several states and this hiccup was taken care of quickly. The operator said that it was the higher traffic that resulted in the technical issues.
The weekend saw the NFC Championship Game and the AFC Championship Game take place, which helped to boost sports bets for the state. The games brought in around 39% of the total handle from this past weekend. The second-most wagered on sport for the weekend was college basketball. The NBA also played a role in wagers.
As far as casino gaming was concerned, players were focused on blackjack. For the weekend, the total casino handle saw around 39% of wagers come from this category of games. For slots, players were drawn to the 88 Fortunes title. An amazing 10% of wagers came from this game!
When online casinos launched, players had access to more than 100 games. Ranging from slots and table games to other titles in-between, there was no shortage of content. The opening weekend was a big success for both online casino games and sports betting. The industry is setting up to be big competition for other states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey once matured.
